The present invention concerns pictures and picture frames and pertains particularly to a picture which integrates the picture frame.
Generally a picture frame is used in order to make the best presentation of a picture. While the picture frame is essential for presentation of art, picture frames can be very expensive. This is especially the case, for example, where matting is used to best present the picture.
There have been attempts to provide inexpensive framing of artwork. For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,184,121 by Henry Henricksen, for ART WORK, sets out a method by which prints and etc., may be utilized, embellished, framed and treated to be available for decorative hanging and so on. His method is based on laminating paper with a resinous material in a press with several tons of pressure. The result is further laminated with other materials and resin and configurations to eventually form artwork with an integral frame. However, this is in itself a difficult and expensive process. Further the resulting texture of the picture is significantly different than a painted picture and the resulting texture of the picture is significantly different than wood or other materials typically used to construct a picture frame.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,423 by Howard E. Sands, for MULTICOLORED UNITARY THERMOFORMED ARTICLE, sets out using a thermoforming mold having a insert-receiving portion into which is placed a preformed element. The process may be utilized to produce articles in which more than one preformed element is incorporated, and such multiple preformed elements may be of the same or distinct configurations of the same or distinct colorations. However, this process is complicated y the use of various components of plastics of differing colors and shapes to make up a single article. The components require resins to be bonded together.